So, what now for Roy Keane?

So, what now for Roy Keane?

His second foray into football management has been a disaster, which no doubt has left him feeling rather bruised and battered.

A proud man, who doesn’t “do’’ failure, he will undoubtedly be hurting. As he has all through his troubled time at Town, Keane will blame himself for his failure. He won’t blame others. He is, after all, his own biggest critic.

For the time being, he will no doubt disappear into family life and spend a lot of time walking his dogs, and contemplating.

That’s exactly what he did when he walked out of the Republic of Ireland World Cup training camp, and he followed the same pattern when he quit the manager’s job at Sunderland, just over two years ago.

Some people might suggest that he doesn’t actually need to do anything else. After all, he can keep himself busy with his family – bringing up five children will be demanding enough! – and he certainly doesn’t need the money.

With an estimated personal fortune of approaching �30 million, he can bide his time before thinking about his next job.

But, without a doubt, there will be a next job, and it will be in football.

Because Keane, still short of his 40th birthday, will remain ambitious. He won’t be a TV pundit, though.

Although he is a very eloquent man with a quick mind and ready wit, he has famously been quoted in the past as saying he would prefer a trip to the dentist to TV work.

No, he will want to return to football management.

He certainly won’t want to be labelled alongside the likes of Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Stanley Matthews as a great player who flopped when he moved into the manager’s office.

When the time is right, he will get another manager’s job. Despite his poor time at Ipswich, there will be other owners and chairmen who will leap at the chance of having such an icon as their club’s manager.

Whether he will stay in Suffolk is another debate. Keane has bought a large family home in Woodbridge, and has reputedly spent a lot of money on improving it.

He has said many times how much he loves the Suffolk way of life, and he is regularly seen walking his beloved dogs in the picturesque riverside town.

He still has a mansion in Cheshire, which is on the market for �9.5 million. One option, presumably, would be to move back north, take the Cheshire house off the market and sell the Suffolk home. A lot would depend on the job situation.

But, for the meantime, he will keep his head down, and Triggs and co can presumably look forward to lots of long walks!